Message of Peace Heralds New Mosque in Hartlepool

Hartlepool’s first new Mosque was heralded with a message of peace and a donation of over £28,000 to charities by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK.

(PRWEB) November 16, 2005 -- Hartlepool’s first new Mosque was heralded with a message of peace and a donation of over £28,000 to charities by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK.

Costing around £1m through contributions by the community members, the inauguration on Friday Nov. 11 was attended by many local dignitaries including the local MP Iain Wright and Hartlepool Borough Council's chief executive Paul Walker.

The worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“False propaganda labels Islam as barbaric and promoting terrorism. In fact, Islam is a religion of peace and justice. Just as Christianity cannot be at fault if a Christian fails to abide by its teachings, likewise it would be highly unjust if Islam is to be blamed for actions of a few misdirected individuals."

Quoting a verse of the Holy Quran – let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice (Ch 5 V 9) – he declared:

“This Mosque will be a symbol of peace, harmony and understanding and a beacon of light. Those who worship one God, irrespective of caste, colour or creed will come to worship in this mosque. The doors of this Mosque are open to all

The mosque was inaugurated with Friday prayers and a reception with invited guests. Hartlepool and District Hospice, Butterwick Children's Hospice and Brougham Primary School were among those sharing the charity donation – which was raised through a marathon walk which took place in Hartlepool earlier this year.

Notes to Editor

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in Qadian, India, in March 1889. He claimed to be the Promised Messiah as foretold by the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, awaited by most world religions. In a little over a century, the Community has spread to 182 countries with 200 million followers from many cultural backgrounds around the world. Arriving on British soil in 1913, it opened its first mosque in Putney, London in 1924 that is now a cultural landmark of London. In October 2003, the community opened Europe’s largest purpose-built mosque in Western Europe in Morden Surrey, which can accommodate more than 10,000 people.

The fourth successor to Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad passed away in London on April 19, 2003. Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the current worldwide leader of the Community became his 5th successor on April 22, 2003. The current Amir UK (National President) is Mr Rafiq Ahmed Hayat.

Ahmadi Muslims are distinguished by their devotion to faith and charity, the exercise of humility in all walks of life and in expounding the message of Islam as a religion of peace and brotherhood to all mankind.

The Community runs a number of hospitals and schools in developing countries and provides assistance across the world, eg the tsunami in Asia, the recent hurricanes in USA and the earthquake in South Asia.

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